Thanks for the help and new ?

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rs3604

Joined
Feb 9, 2005
Messages
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Thanks for all the help on my blade steel post. I was just wondering, because I am not a big fan of 420 either, why Buck seems to be such a good knife when the blade is 420HC, and the wernger swiss armies seem to be so good when it's 425? My father, as I'm sure many fathers did, carried a Buck for years and swore by it, I also know alot of people who carried sherades.
 
post your question on the Buck forum. those die-hard Buck fans can answer that for you. it's under " manufactuers" at the very top of the page.
 
rs3604 said:
Thanks for all the help on my blade steel post. I was just wondering, because I am not a big fan of 420 either, why Buck seems to be such a good knife when the blade is 420HC, and the wernger swiss armies seem to be so good when it's 425? My father, as I'm sure many fathers did, carried a Buck for years and swore by it, I also know alot of people who carried sherades.
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Generally most 420 is not done well. However, Buck does a very special job heat-treating their steel and it does make a difference.

SAKs use a similar 420/5, but the heat treat again is good. Also, the thin flat-grind of SAKs makes for a high performance blade.

I would trust 420/5/HC for a small buck or any SAK.
 
thought about your question and i'll try this, maybe someone can add to it.
i think when Buck started using 420HC, it was a new high carbon steel (for that time). I will agree with klattman, Buck does a good job with heat treat and it probably was the best thing most casual knife users knew of. it got a good rep. and the Buck legend began. just a guess.
 
420 is a very general term. Cold Steel claims a 420 with their special Zero Quench works better than regular 420, which is often the unredeemably cheap 420J2. Buck and some others use 420HC, for High Carbon, which is a different breed. Not a high end steel, but it will take and hold an edge, it is very stainless, and in a thin blade used for light cutting, is more than good enough. The same goes for similar SAK steels: they are called on for light work and a lot of sitting in warm damp pockets. :)
 
Even I the great VG-10 believer ;) must admit Buck does a great job with 420HC. Just as a side note try out a Boker in 440C sometime :D they do wonders with it . Many Schrades are in 1095 which is a Carbon steel and may be the best for fixed blades.
 
420 is indeed a widely "interpreted" steel classification. But the ticket, in this case, is the HeatTreat. I'm still amazing every time I open my 110. Great quality knife for dirt cheap. They really hit the nail on the head.


Note: Heat-treat is what separates custom knives as well. ;)

Wish more off-the-street-knife-buyers understood that.
 
Your father´s knife was probably not 420HC, Buck used 440C until 1980, then 425M until 1994, then changed to 420HC, they have used other steels in some models and in special editions. Schrade stainless was 440A for a good while.

I think 420HC, 440A, 425M and AUS6 are fine, they have less carbon than other steels and will not hold an edge as long, but how long you need to hold the edge depends on what you do and many people don't use their knives too hard or too much or on very hard materials, I've carried SAKs since the 60's and stainless Schrades since the 70's, they have served me well for everyday chores, and are easy to sharpen.

Luis
 
my mistake....:footinmou.....I failed to clarify.


I bought him the knife 2 years ago, had it engraved, gave it to him for his birthday with 4 generations initially into the 4 brass pieces.
 
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